How To Make 5-Minute Microwavable Chocolate Lava Mug Cake

This is a recipe by Andrew Olson, One Ingredient Chef

When I first heard that you can make a cake in the microwave, I thought it was completely absurd. And then I tried it. It took me a while to get over the hilarity of making a cake in the microwave, but that first attempt actually tasted okay! Over the last few months I've been tweaking my own recipe and I think I've finally nailed it: a cake batter that compensates for the microwave's quirks (namely, drying things out and dulling flavors) and tastes amazing.

With some coconut butter & maple syrup magic, this cake is actually moist, fluffy, and full of flavor. Plus, it comes with a simple chocolate lava icing that you can make in the 2 minutes it takes to cook this cake.

P.S. If you want to get all specific, this isn't really a lava cake. Lava cakes are flourless cakes with runny centers, due to incredible amounts of eggs, butter and sugar. That's obviously not what we're doing here. This is more of a normal chocolate cake. However, it IS in the shape of a mountain, and it DOES have chocolate lava rolling down the sides… so I'm calling it a lava cake anyways.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons all-prupose flour
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup non-dairy milk
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2.5 tablespoons coconut butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Icing (same ingredients, see below)

Step One

In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients (the first list: whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt). Mix until fully combined.

In a separate bowl combine the wet ingredients (non-dairy milk, maple syrup, coconut butter, and vanilla) and pop this in the microwave for about 30 seconds until the cocoa butter is softened. Mix thoroughly until smooth.

Note: coconut butter is the purred flesh of a coconut. It's like coconut oil but a little lower in fat and has a creamier texture. It can be found near the nut butters in your grocery store.

Step Two

Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry and *gently* mix together. As always with wheat flour, over-mixing will develop the gluten and make the batter rubbery – a few small lumps is fine. Transfer the batter to a large mug (or ramekin, or microwave-safe dish of any kind) that has been greased with non-stick spray or coconut oil.

Step Three

Honestly, the most difficult part of this recipe is knowing exactly how long to microwave the cake. For me, it was just about 90 seconds on full power. This will vary based on microwaves and the shape of the dish. A good rule of thumb is this: watch the cake rise. When it seems to have stopped rising, give it another 20-30 seconds or so and it should be perfect. A wooden toothpick should come out clean. Allow to cool before removing, or just eating inside the mug. But of course, not before you ice this cake-in-a-mug…

Step Four: Icing

You can actually make a delicious chocolate icing for this cake in under a minute and it only uses a few of the ingredients you should already have on hand from the cake. Here's how: combine about 1-1.5 tablespoons of each of maple syrup, coconut butter, and cocoa powder. Microwave for about 20 seconds and stir until the cocoa powder dissolves. Icing!

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